I moved to NYC at 22 and lived with a 70-year-old roommate. She had rules, meals, and a busier social life than me.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with William Swanson, a 22-year-old working in medical sales who moved to New York in June. The conversation has been edited for length and clarity.

I had just graduated from college and was moving from Massachusetts to New York for a job starting in June. I planned to get an apartment with friends, but they wouldn’t arrive in the city until the end of July. Since they didn’t want to start paying New York rent before they needed to, I had to find a short-term place to stay in the meantime.

Finding long-term housing in New York is already difficult, and looking for a short-term lease is even…